That You May Believe
H.B. Charles states, “It is the will of God that the Spirit of God use the Word of God to make the people of God look like the Son of God.”¹ Charles’s words became something of a preaching philosophy as I set out to preach the Gospel of John to the saints of Forest Baptist Church.
Charles’s statement is not far removed from John’s own purpose statement in John 20:31, “But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (CSB). John wrote his Gospel so that his readers would believe in Jesus by fixing their eyes on Jesus.
John’s purpose in writing his Gospel was not merely to increase his readers’ knowledge of God, though that is certainly a well-intentioned goal. Nor was it simply to deepen their familiarity with God. Rather, John wrote so that his readers would believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing they would have life in his name. That became my goal as well. Over the course of two calendar years, I endeavored to preach John’s Gospel so that the people of Forest Baptist Church would see Christ more clearly and believe him more deeply.
Unmistakable Conclusion
Having reached the end of this series, I find myself returning to one unmistakable conclusion: John wrote his Gospel so that, above everything else, we would turn our eyes upon Jesus.
Our eyes are turned to Jesus from the onset of his account when John writes, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Shortly thereafter, John the Baptist cries, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). Even the first major human figure in the Gospel—John the Baptist, whom Jesus later called the greatest man born of woman—exists to direct attention away from himself and toward Christ.
In the chapters that follow, Jesus performs miracle after miracle. John records the miracles in such a way that the reader recognizes Jesus isn’t just powerful, he’s divine. Every miracle displayed Jesus’ absolute power over creation, proving that he alone possesses divine authority. The miracles were never ends in themselves; they were signs directing our attention to the One behind them. Consider the raising of Lazarus. The miracle is astonishing, but John’s greater concern is that readers recognize the One who declares, “I am the resurrection and the life.” The sign points beyond itself to the Savior who alone has authority over life and death.
John’s account also contains the seven famous and distinct “I AM” statements of Jesus. He is the bread of life; the light of the world; the door of the sheep; the good shepherd; the resurrection and the life; the way, the truth and the life; and the true vine. Through every “I AM” declaration, John continually draws the reader’s attention away from lesser hopes and toward the sufficiency of Christ. Every statement answers the same question: Who is Jesus?
As John’s gospel turns to the final days of Jesus’ life, Jesus remains center stage. In John 17, the reader is invited into the intimate communion shared between the Son and the Father. The eyes of the reader are turned to Jesus and his prayer to the Father. As chapters 18–21 recount the death and resurrection of Jesus, John is unmistakably clear that Jesus is the one he wants his reader to know about.
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
The familiar hymn Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus was written in 1918 by Helen Lemmel, a famed hymn-writer.² Her words summarize the unmistakable conclusion I have found in preaching John these last two years. Looking back, I almost wish I had titled the series after Lemmel’s hymn. John wanted his readers to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, and he accomplished that purpose by placing Christ at the center of every page. That is the enduring lesson of John’s Gospel. The lesson for preachers is clear: place Jesus at the center of every sermon through John. The lesson for every Christian is just as clear: place Jesus at the center of your life. Or, as Helen Lemmel beautifully put it, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus.”
O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
O’er us sin no more hath dominion
For more than conqu’rors we are!
His Word shall not fail you, He promised;
Believe Him and all will be well;
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!
- H.B. Charles, River City Baptist Church, “Cultivating Christlikeness, Galatians 5:22–23,” YouTube Video, 41:02, February 16, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IuvaKoVFjw
- Emma Sunderland, “Story Behind the Song: ‘Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus,’” Oasis Church, March 6, 2020, https://oasischurch.com.au/story-behind-the-song-turn-your-eyes-upon-jesus/
Reid Stevens
Reid is the Senior Pastor of Forest Baptist Church in Forest, MS, and a PhD student in Biblical Exposition at NOBTS. He is married to Natalie, and they have two daughters, Sarah and Mary Grace.